2 weeks Post OP Swelling
Anyone have swelling while still in the cast? If I keep my foot down too much it swells. Stitches out this Friday and Cast off and into a boot.
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Anyone have swelling while still in the cast? If I keep my foot down too much it swells. Stitches out this Friday and Cast off and into a boot.
July 21st, 2015 at 12:49 pm
Hi there,
Wow, stitches and cast off this Friday! Time sure does fly. My doc seems to be a bit more conservative in the time line; surgery July 3–no weight bearing–cast off August 3. Lucky you!
What exactly did the OS do to your ankle in this surgery? Did they remove the bursas? Did they transfer the big toe tendon for reinforcement?
Regarding swelling: yes, my foot swells in the cast…not as big as a grapefruit, but I can tell it is still swollen. If I elevate it above my heart, the swelling diminishes. Sometimes I lie down and put my foot straight up in the air for a few minutes. Or just prop it up on some pillows while lying on the couch. “Toes above the nose”, is the mantra.
My experience with Ankle #1 demonstrates that foot swelling will continue for a long long time, although the degree of swelling diminishes as time goes by (8 months post op, my ankle #1 still swells some at the end of the day. ). Elevating and icing will be your best friend for many months to come.
I am glad you get your cast off! When I got cast off Ankle #1, I thought I would be able to walk to the kitchen, pain free, and carry my coffee to the living room. I cried and cried when I tried to walk and it hurt like hell and I still had to use crutches to support some weight on the healing foot. How naive I was to think I would be walking on it, pain free! So be forewarned, you may need to use crutches for support for a few days.
Our haglunds / tendonosis issue is a b#tch, and recovering from it is a long process, and I try to stay positive by remembering that 100 years ago, they probably couldn’t fix it and we would both be in wheel chairs. That, and at least it is fixable, unlike some peoples medical issues. I quit feeling sorry for myself last year when I heard about the YOUNG woman (wife, mother) with a terminal brain tumor who moved to Oregon in order to end her life…. I have much to be thankful for :).
So Happy Friday when the cast comes off! I am right behind ya! We will walk without pain! Ballet, basketball, and marathons are probably out, but we will be able to walk!
Michelle
July 21st, 2015 at 12:50 pm
Mariejones98 I had swelling in the plantarflexion splint the morning after I got home from the hospital. After that, I kept it elevated and I iced behind my knee several times a day until I got my stitches out. I think rest, ice, and elevation are really the keys to controlling the swelling.